


Something's Got To Give

by ProudwingXOfXStannis



Category: Batman: Arkham Asylum (Video Games), Batman: The Animated Series
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-05
Updated: 2014-04-10
Packaged: 2018-01-18 05:38:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1417084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProudwingXOfXStannis/pseuds/ProudwingXOfXStannis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Suzanne Siskin is the newest doctor at Arkham Asylum and is keen to establish herself as being more than just the innocent, sweet blonde she's always been. Which is why she approaches Dr Whistler with the idea to interview Edward Nygma, the Riddler. Despite some initial reluctance, Doctor Whistler says yes. Whether or not any of them will come to regret it is now up to them. But as the old saying goes, something's got to give....</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: In the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This fic does follow the events in BTAS but it also has the events of Arkham Asylum in it's canon and the characters and events in the show and the game will feature in this fic.  
> This fic was inspired by numerous roleplay threads on Tumblr between my OC Suzanne Siskin and riddlesxtruth's Edward Nigma/The Riddler and is dedicated to her.

**Prologue: In the Beginning**

  Gretchen Whistler frowned at Suzanne Siskin, who was sitting across from her, Gretchen’s desk separating them. “Are you absolutely sure about this Miss Siskin?” She asked cautiously. “I want you to consider what you’re asking of me here.”  
  “Oh trust me Doctor Whistler, I already have.” Suzanne said confidently, smiling brightly. “I know what I’m doing, I’ll be fine.”  
 _‘Where have I heard that before?’_ Gretchen thought darkly. This whole scenario just reeked of deja vu and Gretchen was going to be absolutely sure what happened to poor Harleen Quinzel wasn’t going to happen to this new, young, blonde doctor. “I don’t think you will be fine.” Gretchen said doubtfully. “You’re young, you shouldn’t be dealing with a patient of his calibre just yet.”  
  Suzanne pouted slightly, almost like a child, but she soon straightened up and took on a more professional, almost practiced, air. “I know who I’ll be dealing with Doctor Whistler, and I really do think I’ll be ok. I know you’re concerned I’ll end up like Harley Quinn-” _‘She’s smarter and more perceptive than she looks...’_ “-but I promise you I’ll take precautions and be more cautious than her. Besides, I don’t really think The Riddler will be as much of a threat as The Joker. But that’s just my opinion.” She added, almost like an afterthought.  
  “I’m still not sure...” Gretchen wondered if she’d be more lenient if the similarities between Suzanne and Harleen weren’t so stark.  
  “Please Doctor Whistler, I need this.” In almost an instant, Suzanne’s whole demeanour changed. She went from portraying herself as a young but professional and competent doctor to being a young girl desperate for approval and affirmation. The latter fit her much better than the former in Gretchen’s opinion. “All the other doctor’s here just see me as a stupid little girl, fresh out of school not knowing what to do or what she’s gotten herself into by working here-” _‘They’re right.’_ “-I know this sounds stupid but I think that if I have just some time with him, maybe they’ll take me seriously.” She leaned forward and clasped her hands together, her perfect pink nail polish shining and reminding Gretchen of her girlhood days. “I swear I’m not going to be Harley Quinn 2.0 or anything like that.”  
  Later, when she thought about it (and she would think about it often), Gretchen wouldn’t be able to say if it was the pleading tone in Suzanne’s voice, the pure desperation in those big blue eyes, or even that nail polish, but she took pity on Suzanne. She sighed, leaned back in her chair and after a slight pause, relented. “Alright.” She said. “You can see him next Monday at three.”  
  After she realized what Gretchen had just said, Suzanne’s brightened considerably and grinned. “Oh thank you so much Doctor Whistler!” She almost leaped out of her chair out of pure joy. “I promise I won’t let you down! I’ll be completely professional!”  
  “I sincerely hope so.” Gretchen said as she noted down Suzanne and Nigma’s appointment in her diary. “Remember; be guarded with Nygma.”  
  “Doctor Whistler, I’ll be so guarded you could call me Suzanne Fort Knox Siskin.” She smiled and left, leaving only her promise and the scent of a floral, girlish perfume.  
  Gretchen sighed. “I sincerely hope so.” She muttered, already feeling regret tug at her conscience.


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Suzie is thrown into the lion's den

**Chapter One**

 

 Suzie had been waiting for her appointment with The Riddler with an eager anticipation she had only ever felt on first dates. While most would consider the two events had nothing to do with each other, Suzie couldn’t deny that those moments she spent waiting for the date rang the doorbell and these moments she now spent waiting for Edward Nygma were one and the same; filled with nervousness, and wondering if it would go well or be a total disaster. Obviously, Suzie hoped it would be the former, but she was prepared if it was the latter. After all, she was dealing with a convicted criminal here, anything could happen. Just like on a first date.

 The door swung open, startling Suzie slightly. She quickly regained her composure and straightened up her posture, just like how Mama taught her, and watched as two Arkham guards brought in Edward, wearing a white Arkham Asylum prisoner uniform and a wide, smug grin. “So, you’re the new doctor.” He said with an easy, breezy confidence that Suzie had expected from reading his file. “Hm, it seems like Arkham gets all the young blondes.” He flopped down onto the patient couch and lounged on it as if he owned it. He waved a hand dismissively. “You two can leave now, the doctor and I have to talk.”

 One of the guard’s gave Edward a filthy look before turning to Suzie. “We’ll be outside if you need us Doctor Siskin.” Being called ‘Doctor Siskin’ would never fail to thrill Suzie.

 Suzie smiled pleasantly at the guards. “Thank you gentlemen, I’ll call out if I need help.” The two men nodded and left, closing the door firmly behind them. Suzie shifted her focus onto Edward. “So, Mr Nygma, I’m here to-”

 “I know why you’re here.” Edward cut Suzie off, sounding bored. “You’re here to poke around in my brilliant mind and try to understand it, which is absolutely impossible  for the likes of you, and hope to succeed where others have failed and find out what’s wrong with me and fix me.” He glanced at Suzie in a way that made it seem like he was granting her a huge favour by doing so. “You don’t need to tell me I’m right, I already know I am.”

 For a few moments, Suzie didn’t know what to do. College didn’t prepare her for a patient like Edward (now that she thought about it, college didn’t prepare her for a place like Arkham, full stop.) and she was left a little bewildered and with the uncomfortable feeling that if she didn’t act quickly and efficiently, there would be a significant power imbalance and that would be disastrous. “Well,” she said finally, “you’re right about one thing.”

 “Oh?” Edward propped himself up on his elbows and raised an eyebrow. “And what’s that?”

 “It would be impossible for me to understand your mind,” Suzie said matter-of-factly, “and I don’t think I ever would, no matter how many sessions we have.” Suzie waited and watched, as she so often did with men. Especially with men like Edward. You didn’t have to read his case file to know he was one of those guys who enjoyed being fawned over and having their ego boosted, and if there was one thing Suzie knew how to do it was fawn over a man and boost his ego. Her past romantic, and sexual, relationships were testaments to that.

 After a few moments, Edward slowly sat up. “What are you trying to do?” He asked, suspicious and eyeing Suzie closely. “If you’re trying to mess with me, it won’t work. I’m too much of a genius to fall for any mediocre mind games you come up with. You’re no match for me.”

 “I don’t doubt that.” Suzie said, keeping her voice steady and calm and sincere. “I never thought I would be able to match you, that’s not why I’m here.”

 “Then why are you here?” Edward still seem to be entirely convinced.

 ‘Because no one here takes me seriously. They all think I’m just some helpless little girl who can’t hold her own against any of you guys and I want to prove myself.’ “I’m here because you...interest me.” The pause before ‘interest’ had been timed to perfection. It was long enough to make it sound like she was trying to find the right word, yet short enough so as not to sound practiced or contrived, even though it was. “You’re a man in possession of a brilliant mind, you invented a riddle game that is selling incredibly well. Why turn to crime when you could do so much more?”

 There was a long pause and Suzie began to wonder if she had done too much or not enough (they both seemed to be about the same to her these days) when Edward allowed himself a sly smile. “Why? You simply wish to know why I became a criminal?” He chuckled and sat up straight, resting his chin in his hand. “I thought you would’ve read my file.”

 “I did.” Said Suzie, which was true as she had spent the four days between her meeting with Dr Whistler and now studying Edward’s file as if she had a mid-term on it (in fact she studied it harder than she had studied for her actual mid-terms) and could practically quote it off by heart. “Previous doctors have put it down to you wanting to prove your genius.”

 “That’s right.” Edward said proudly.

 “But I think they’re wrong.” Suzie said, startling Edward a little and making him eye her suspiciously again. “Them saying that you want to prove your genius implies that other people don’t know about it or that you’re not an actual genius, when you clearly are.” Suzie didn’t know where all of this was coming from, but she just it all flow out, like she always did. “Now I think, and this is just pure speculation here, that you do it because you think, or rather you know, that everyone is blind to how brilliant you are and that frustrates you and makes you want to show everyone what they are clearly missing.” She paused and sat up a little straighter, crossing one leg over the other and keeping her eyes focused on Edward. “Please correct me if I’m wrong, I don’t want to write anything that is completely wrong.”

 For what felt like a very long time, Edward kept his eyes right on Suzie, staring right at her. Suzie was used to men staring at her, but usually their stares had something to them (adoration, fear, love, lust was a pretty common one) but Edward had none of those things in his stare; it was all suspicion and weariness. He was calculating just how far he could trust her, just how much he could tell her. Suzie had always been told that she had a face that people could trust, but would Edward think so too?

 It seemed like he did because he visibly relaxed and smirked. “What was your name again doctor?”

 “Suzanne Siskin.”

 “Well then, Suzanne Siskin,” Edward laid back on the couch again with the same confidence he had before, “you’re already off to a good start. Keep this up and I may even tell you a thing or two.”

 _‘That’s exactly what I’m hoping for Edward.’_ “Only tell me what you feel comfortable with me knowing.”

 Edward chuckled. “You know doc, I think this is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship.”

 

 **  
  
**(That was meant to be ironic of course but Edward and Suzie would ponder that sentence later, much later, and wonder if that was when everything truly started.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank everyone who has read this fic thus far, the hits and kudos and bookmarks really keep me motivated!


End file.
